Элисон Ноэль - Blue Moon

And when he looks at, me, it's clear that he's speechless. And preferring to leave it like that, I gather my stuff and head toward the door, glancing over my shoulder to say, "And you shouldn't be afraid to talk to her. Seriously. Just suck it up and approach her already. You'll find she's really nice."

CHAPTER 41

When I exit the room, I half expect to find Roman waiting for me with that same taunting gleam in his eye. But he's not And when I get to the lunch tables, I know why.

He's performing. Orchestrating everyone around him, directing everything they say and do —like a bandleader, a puppet master, a big-top circus ringleader. And just as the hint of something nudges at the back of my mind, just as an inkling of insight begins to take shape —I see him .

Damen.

The love of every single one of my lives, now stumbling toward the lunch table, so unstable, so disheveled and haggard, there's no mistaking that things have progressed at an alarming rate. We are running out of time.

And when Stacia turns, makes a face, and hisses, "Loo -ser!" I'm stunned to realize the taunt is not meant for me.

It's directed at Damen.

And in a matter of seconds, the whole school joins in.

All of the derision once reserved just for me is now directed at him.

I glance at Miles and Haven, watching as they add their voices to the chorus, then I rush toward Damen, alarmed to find his skin so clammy and cold, those once high cheekbones now alarmingly gaunt, and those deep dark eyes that once held such promise and warmth, now watery and rheumy and barely able to focus. And even though his lips are horribly dry and cracked, I still feel an undeniable longing to press mine against them. Because no matter what he looks like, no matter how much he's changed, he's still Damen. My Damen . Young or old, healthy or sick, it doesn't matter. He's the only one I've ever really cared about —the only one I've ever loved—and nothing Roman or anyone else does can ever change that.

"Hey," I whisper, my voice cracking as my eyes fill with tears. Tuning out the shrill taunts that surround us as I focus solely on him. Hating myself for turning my back long enough to allow this to happen, knowing he never would've let this happen to me.

He turns toward me, his eyes struggling to focus, and just when I think I've captured a glimmer of recognition —it's gone so fast I'm sure I imagined it.

"Let's get out of here," I say, tugging on his sleeve, trying to pull him alongside me. "What do you say we ditch?" I smile, hoping to remind him of our usual Friday routine. Just reaching the gate when Roman appears.

"Why do you bother?" he says, his arms folded, head cocked to the side, allowing his Ouroboros tattoo to flash in and out of view.

I grip Damen's arm and narrow my gaze, determined to get past Roman whatever it takes.

"Seriously, Ever." He shakes his head, glancing from Damen to me. "Why waste your time? He's old, feeble, practically decrepit, and, I'm sorry to say, but from the looks of things, not long for this earth.

Surely you're not planning to waste your sweet young nectar on this dinosaur?"

He looks at me, blue eyes blazing, lips curving, glancing at the lunch table just as the shrill of taunts hits the next level. And just like that I know.

The idea that's been nudging me, poking around the edges, and trying to get my attention, has finally been heard. And even though I'm not sure if I'm right, and knowing I'll have no choice but to slink off in shame if I'm wrong, I take in the crowd, my eyes moving from Miles to Haven to Stacia to Honor to Craig to every single kid who's just going through the motions, following along, doing what everyone else says and does without once stopping to question, without once asking why.

Then I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and focus all of my energy on them when I shout:

"WAKE UP!!!"

Then I stand there, far too ashamed to look now that all of their derision has switched from Damen to me. But I can't let that stop me, I know Roman's performed some sort of mass hypnosis, putting them into some kind of mindless trance where everyone's doing his bidding.

"Ever, please. Save yourself while you still can."

Roman laughs. "Even I can't help you if you insists on continuing."

But I don't listen to him —can't listen. I have to find a way to stop him —to stop them ! I've got to find a way to wake them all up, get them to snap out of it —

Snap/

That's it! I'll just snap my fingers and —

I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and yell as loud as I can:

"SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Which only results in my classmates going wild, their ridicule hitting the next level as a profusion of soda cans are hurled at my head.

Roman sighs, looking at me when he says, "Ever, really. I insist. You've got to stop this madness, now !

You're making a bloody Tool of yourself if you think that'll work! What're you gonna do next, slap all their cheeks?"

I stand there, my breath coming in short shallow gasps, knowing I'm not wrong, despite what he says.

I'm sure he's got them spellbound, hijacked their minds by some kind of trance —

And then I remember this old documentary I once saw on TV, where the hypnotist brought the patient back not by slapping or snapping but by clapping on the count of three.

I take a deep breath, watching as my classmates climb on top of the table and benches, the better to pelt me with their uneaten food. And I know it's my last chance, that if this doesn't work —well—I don't know what I will do.

So I close my eyes, and yell:

"WAKE UP!"

Then I count from three to one and clap my hands twice at the end.

And then —

And then —nothing.

The whole school goes silent as they slowly come to.

They rub their eyes, blinking, yawning, and stretching as though awakening from a very long nap. Gazing around in confusion, wondering why they're on top of the table with the very same people they once deemed as freaks.

Craig is the first to react. Finding himself so close to Miles their shoulders practically touch, he bolts for the far end. Reassuring himself with the company of his fellow jocks, reclaiming his manhood with a punch on the arm.

And when Haven stares at her carrot sticks with a look of absolute disgust, I can't help but smile, knowing the big happy family is back to their normal routine of name-calling, eye-rolling, and snubbing each other in favor of their usual cliques, returned to a world where animosity and loathing still rule.

My school is back to normal again.

I turn toward the gate, prepared to take Roman down, but he's already gone. So I grip Damen tighter, easing him across the parking lot and into my car as Miles and Haven, the two best friends I've missed so much and will never see again, follow along.

"You guys know I love you, right?" I glance between them, knowing they'll freak, but it has to be said.

They look at each other, exchanging a look of alarm, both of them wondering what could've possibly happened to the girl they once pegged as the Ice Queen.

"Um, okay ..." Haven says, shaking her head.

But I just smile and grasp them both to me, squeezing them tightly as I whisper to Miles, "Whatever you do don't stop acting or singing, it's going to bring you —"

I stop, wondering if I should tell him how I just saw a flash of bright lights and Broadway, but not wanting to rob him of the journey by always looking ahead, I say, "It's going to bring you great happiness."

And before he can even respond, I've moved on to Haven, knowing I have to get this over with quick, so I can get Damen to Ava's, but determined to find a way to urge her to love herself more, to stop losing herself in others, and that Josh is worth hanging on to for however long it lasts. "You have so much value," I tell her. "So much to give —I just wish you could see how bright your star truly does shine."